Ten Maoists Surrender in Madhya Pradesh Under New Rehabilitation Policy

Maoists Surrender to Chief Minister

In a significant development, ten individuals affiliated with the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) surrendered to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav in Balaghat district on Sunday.

These individuals collectively had a bounty of Rs 2.3 crore, as reported by a local news source.

The group operated primarily within the Maharashtra-Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh special zone, focusing on the Kanha-Bhoradev area, which spans Balaghat and Mandla districts in Madhya Pradesh, along with Kabirdham district in Chhattisgarh.

Following the surrender, Yadav declared that Dindori and Mandla districts are now free from Maoist influence.

He further stated, “In Balaghat, their presence has nearly vanished. The likelihood of Maoist activities in the Kanha-Bandhavgarh tiger reserve region is now nonexistent.”

Among those who surrendered were Surendra alias Kabir Sodi, the Zone Secretary, along with other notable members such as Rakesh Odi alias Manish and several area committee members.

This marks the second instance of Maoists surrendering in Madhya Pradesh since the introduction of the state's new rehabilitation policy in August 2023.

The first surrender occurred on November 1, when a 23-year-old woman named Sunita, a member of the Gondia-Rajnandgaon-Balaghat division, turned herself in at the Chauriya camp of the anti-Naxal Hawk Force, carrying a reward of Rs 14 lakh.

The Union government has committed to eradicating Maoism by March 31, 2026.

In October, the Union home ministry reported a reduction in districts affected by Left-wing extremism, decreasing from 18 in March to just 11.

By 2025, the number of districts classified as 'most affected' has also dropped from six to three, specifically Bijapur, Sukma, and Narayanpur in Chhattisgarh.